Fitbits furthering workplace fitness

BY Rachael Pearson

Fitbits. They’ve been around for a while now and are becoming more and more prominent in workspaces across the globe. Once primarily targeted for fitness fanatics, they are now promoted as a versatile fitness tracker, useful for anyone moving (or not). Used as incentives to get out and be active during the day and with so many features and styles now available, they suit just about everyone. Recently we purchased everyone in the office their very own Fitbit, and have been competing for the elusive 10,000 steps in a day. This whole activity has been a blast so far so I thought I would do another Rach’s Faves of my top 5 favourite things about the Fitbit.

#1 Survival of the fittest!

My favourite feature of the Fitbit are the challenges! Awesome for workspaces, fun for friends, hilarious for families, what else could be more of a driver for getting those steps up than some friendly, or not so friendly, competition? To really get the ball rolling, a lot of people use incentives to bring out that competition – ours being socks and a pig that grows basil.

#2 So much connectivity!

The first models focussed purely on steps, which was great, but like everything they had to change with the times. The latest models boast connectivity to the internet and other applications like various workouts, nutrition tips, learning boosters as well as your mobile phone and even some smart phones. That’s right, your fitness tracker can alert you when you have an incoming call or message!

#3 Goals, goals and more goals.

For those who are more into it for the personal gains, you can set your own goals – what and within what time frame. By asking a few generic questions, the app can track how much you should be sleeping, eating, drinking and more, making it insanely easy to set those goals you’ve been promising you’d start over and over again, but never actually did.

#4 Reminders to move

So this feature isn’t for everyone and you do have the option of turning it on and off, but your nifty little band can remind you to get off your bum. It’s simple: if you haven’t taken 250 steps in an hour, you’ll receive a soft buzz (a metaphorical kick) reminding you that you’ve been sitting for too long and it’s time to get up, grab a drink or sweet biscuit, or in my case go down and pat the office pup. It’s handy, and really puts into perspective how little you can manage to walk in a day.

#5 Oh so pretty

While not the most important feature, if you’re a prettiness fanatic like me the overall look and feel of the band is super important. There are currently 7 different models of Fitbits, each with a different appearance, and colour range, oh and of course the different features. Initially, I was sceptical of purchasing one, I already have a watch and didn’t want another clock face (I’m only slightly neurotic, I swear…) but just seeing all the options available changed my mind in no time and I’m sure it’ll do the same for you.

All in all, I love the Fitbits and am so excited about
what they can and have done for so many people. To those that are interested in following Digital Noir’s 10K Fitbit Challenge, we will be posting regular updates on our social channels and you can see for yourselves just how much fun we are all having!